A Bradford campaigner says new legislation to combat the illegal use of fireworks is not working.

Laws which ban the sale of larger fireworks and tighten control on their use have been introduced over the last year.

But Jenny Sampson, founder of Allerton-based charity Catwatch, said: "The new laws are not working in the city.

"Last night they were going off every ten minutes for no reason whatsoever.

"They seem to get going at around 8pm every night. They are very, very loud bangs and sound just like a bomb has gone off."

Mrs Sampson, who cares for around 20 stray cats at her Rossmore Drive home, said she had already lost one of them after it ran away, spooked by a firework.

It is now illegal to set-off fireworks after 11pm and before 7am, except on November 5 and a handful of other dates. Fireworks can only be bought or used by adults and on-the-spot £80 fines can be issued to those caught breaking the law.

Firework safety campaigner Elizabeth Hellmich, of Safe Areas For All (SAFE), has given out more than 80,000 bookmarks on firework safety to district schoolchildren.

Mrs Hellmich, of Heaton, said: "Misuse of fireworks is still a major problem across the district.

"I think the introduction of on-the-spot fines is an excellent idea - but the only problem with it is who is able to endorse them?

"I don't think we have as many people setting off fireworks in Bradford since the new legislation was introduced but a lot depends on which area you live in.

"We would not dream of giving a handful of detonators to children yet some people will still sell them fireworks."

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe said: "If there is no improvement in the accident figures I have said that we will revisit the legislation.

"However, the police have welcomed the new laws and anecdotal evidence nationally suggests that there has been a reduction in the number of nuisance reports both to police and fire services.

"Certainly the number of complaints to my constituency office fell dramatically last year after the introduction of the legislation."

A Bradford police spokesman said: "Checks are carried out at local shops, and police will prosecute any shopkeepers breaking the law.

"Fireworks should not be sold to under 18s and people should not be able to buy larger fireworks intended for display use or fireworks with a noise level of more than 120 decibels."

A Bradford fire service spokesman said: "We do not have statistics on fire injuries in the district at present; many, in fact, go unreported.

"But the fire service in the city - although very busy in the run-up to November 5 - has seen injuries tumble."